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MAURICE VERGUES, OE NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR AUGMENTING SOUND IN PIANO-FORTES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,225, dated August 14, 1866.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, MAURICE VERGUEs, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Arrangement of the Apparatus for Augmenting the Sound in Piano-Fortes-in other words, an Improved Sounding-Board5 and I hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description.

To enable others to make and use my invention, I proceed to describe its construction and arrangement, reference being had to one sheet oi' drawings, hereunto annexed, and making part ot' this specification.

Figure lis asection in thevertical line of part of the box of a piano. The design is intended to be to the scale of about two-thirds the actual size. Fig. 2 is a plan ofthe same 5 Fig. 3, diagram, in perspective, exaggerating certain parts (the strips of steel and the india-rubber deafeners) to render them more intelligible.

The same letters refer to the same things in all the drawings.

A is the box or case ofthe instrument; B, the iron frame around the inside of the case at the bottom, and to whidli the sounding apparatus is attached; C, bolts and nuts confining the case to the iron frame; D, c p-strip, lying upon the sounding-board, withl or without a strip of india-rubber between 5 E, the upper sounding-board 5 F, the lower sounding-board, set very near to the upper 5* G, strips of indiarubber, laid on the flange of the iron frame, between that and the sounding-boards; H, the screw-bolts that confine the two soundingboards firmly to the upper and lower side of the flange of the iron frame; I, the under strip; J, holes in the under sounding-board.

The first purpose in this invention is to angment the sound of the instrument 5 the second is to economize space; the third is to give a permanent solidity to the works-to wit, case and sounding-boards-so that the instrument will long retain the perfection of its tone. All these, as I believe, are accomplished in this invention.

To make the instrument-that is, so much of it as appertains to this invention-I cast an iron frame the shape ot the exterior ofthe case. It may be two or three inches deep, a quarter of an inch thick, or less, and with a ange round the inside at the bottom, or it may have more than one flange. The flange is haltl an inch thick, or thereabout, when one only is used. If more than one, then they may be about a quarter ot an inch thick, and set as far apart as desired to make the requisite quality of tone when the boards are attached. The one iiange, half-inch thick, is to intervene between the two sounding-boards and approach them to the nearest point for a good effect. The several flanges, or one thicker one, will place the two boards more widely apart.

The sounding-boards being shaped to tit the interior of the case, a strip of india-rubber, G, is laid on the iron, and the top or upper sounding-board laid on it, with proper holes bored to match holes in the ange at about every inch, and in the strips, and then a metallic strip, D, is laid on, with or without the strip of india-rubber or other soft substance between it and the board, and the screw-bolts put in. Then the case being turned, the bottom up, the strip of soft material is laid on theiron Ilange, and the lower sounding-boardis laid on. The metallic strip is put on with or without a soft strip under, and then the nuts are put on the screw-bolts, and the two boards are drawn compactly together; and when all shall have shrunk in seasoning, the nuts are again screwed tight, thus keeping the instrument ever solid.

The lower sounding-board is perforated with holes J, which may be one inch diameter and bored at every six inches square; but the size ot' the holes and the distances may vary in a great degree. In case ot several soundingboards set in this manner all must be perforated except the upper.

It has been found in making instruments on this plan that there is a peculiar principle evolved. The near approach of two soundingboards has produced a good and peculiar effect. The peculiar eect decreases when varied from one inch distance of the sounding-boards apart. At the distance apart of two inches all peculiarity ceases, and the only advantage then is found in the increased volume of sound evolved by the additional sounding-board beneath.

In the examination of all the kinds of pianofortes in Europe and America ever made, I have found none whose sounding-board is placed nearer to the solid base than two and a quarter' inches. I placed mine down low in trying the experiment, to make room for the action above the board. I found myself remarkablysuccessful. I then removed the solid base and depended on the iron frame and the two boards bolted firmly to it, and a new effect was produced, and I therefore believe the discovery is original with me.

I find, also, that the lower board should be one-third thicker than the upper one, and wherever the upper board is thickened, the lower board should hold the same proportion, the perforations weakening one board in about that degree. Ii' therefore the holes be made larger, the board should be correspondingly thicker.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to Witnesses:

OWEN G. WARREN, LEWIS H. MOORE. 

